The Elder King Book 1: Rising From the Ashes
by TheHonourableSkye11
Summary: The war with Gaea is over. The Heroes of Olympus won. Leo is still missing, but he'll soon fly in to breakfast with his immortal girlfriend. But all is not yet peaceful. In fact, it is the opposite. From the ashes of Gaea's defeat another enemy rises, one who is even more powerful than she... it will take all of the half-bloods' strength to defeat this new and terrifying enemy.
1. Chapter 1

**New story! I've recently finished the Heroes of Olympus, so I wanted to start a big Percy Jackson story. And this is what I got! I won't hold you, but I'll just give a disclaimer: Nothing but the plot line belongs to me. Well, OCs do, if I have any, but that's pretty obvious. Please, read on!**

Prologue

 **Percy**

When we defeated Gaea, I thought we'd finally have some peace. But come on, we're half-bloods. We don't even know how to spell peace. After all, what's the world without a plot to destroy all humanity? Not much, huh?

Oh yeah, I'm Percy. I'm back! Sorry for being absent during that last part of the war with Gaea. I was a bit too busy to narrate. I don't know how Nico, Piper or Jason managed it, to be entirely honest. It's a big task. Annabeth and me decided to take some time off. Defeating the Earth incarnate is kind of a task.

But I won't talk too much about what you already know. The war with Gaea was pretty tough, so it's best forgotten. I mean, true, the final battle happened pretty quick by our standards, didn't it? I mean, it took us longer to conquer Kelli in Tartarus than it did to kill Gaea! Funny, right?

Anyway, I'm going to shut up soon, or Annabeth will kill me. But geez, you need _some_ background, don't you? It's a pretty complicated series of events that happened to set the third war in only two years in motion.

Okay, so it started like this. When Leo and Octavian combined to blow up Gaea, her life force was scattered across the sky. Like, _really_ scattered. As in populating-every-country-at-the-moment scattered. But something happened when she decided to go boom. I won't divulge that yet, but I just thought I'd fill you in with that detail at the moment. It comes back to her explosion.

Okay, Annabeth is telling me to shut up, or I'll ruin the story. I'll just give you one last name: Ouranos.

Okay! Annabeth, relax. I'm just giving them some background! It makes it easier to follow when you know where it's going. Okay, sorry everyone reading, I have to go. She's going to kill me if I tell you anything else.

But I will give you a list of narrators for this story. Annabeth, it's not revealing anything! Why don't you go, like, design a bridge or something? Whatever you do in your free time! Thank you!

Okay, so the narrators for this story are me, the amazing Percy, Jason Thunderhead, Annabeth the Wise, Piper Beauty Queen, Flaming Leo Valdez (when he gets back from his daytrip with his girlfriend, at least), Magic Hazel, Frank the Bulldog, Pinecone Face Thalia (she's back!) and Death Boy. Er, Nico, I mean. Oh, and Reyna. Don't forget Reyna. She might talk about Puerto Rico or her creepy polygraph dogs, so be prepared. Okay, I can't tell you anymore thanks to Annabeth, so I hope you will just press the little button that leads you to the next chapter! Enjoy! This story has a lot of near-death, which is always very entertaining! Good-bye for now! Percy out.

 **Poor Percy never gets any rest. At least this time Hera didn't wipe his memory. But she might get up to some mischief. I really hate her, to be honest. Okay, tune in for chapter number 2, which will be the first real chapter. Thanks for reading, and God bless! -Skye**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, chapter one, officially! Here we go! Jason will be taking this chapter. I'm thinking that there will be one narrator per chapter, unless something comes up that demands multiple. Also, chapters probably won't be too terribly long, but I hope to update with reasonable consistency. I still own nothing. All to Rick. Read on….**

Chapter One

 **Jason**

Jason picked idly at his pancakes. Sure, they tasted great, but he had way too much on his mind.

Gaea was defeated. That was great, but there was still work to be done. The battle had left deep scars along the ground on Half-Blood Hill and beyond. The owner of the Goldsmith Winery nearby was already suing the 'hooligans from that damned summer camp' for the damage on his vineyards. Little did he know those hooligans had been saving the world from the evil Earth Mother when his vines were damaged.

But they had lost so many. Few of those who had died had been well known to him, but among the dead was his closest friend, Leo.

Jason refused to accept that Leo was dead. His heart told him otherwise. Leo was immune to fire, so surely he could have survived the explosion? But he most certainly wasn't immune to plummeting to his death, which would have inevitably happened after the explosion.

He didn't accept it, however. He _knew_ Leo must have survived. He was Flaming Leo Valdez, after all. He'd come out of some of the tightest spots imaginable, joking and self-combusting, and was never worse for wear. Except for that time he disappeared in the Mediterranean and reappeared in Malta. Jason still wasn't sure what had happened there. Hazel and Percy both seemed to know something. When Jason had asked before, they didn't reply, but both looked understanding. Jason hated not knowing what was going on.

He glanced away from the dining pavilion, where he sat alone at the Zeus table, towards Half-Blood Hill. The Demeter cabin were at work, healing the earth and planting flowers. The Athena cabin were gathered around Annabeth, trying to figure out some memorial to be set on the Hill in honour of those who'd died. Jason couldn't see the clipboard from that distance, but by the grand gestures of Annabeth, he guessed it would be quite expansive.

The Aphrodite cabin were hurrying about, brushing makeup on everyone, which Jason thought rather unnecessary, but they must have been charmspeaking, because few campers shied away. Even Clarisse La Rue accepted it without a word. Before now, if someone had tried to give Clarisse makeup, she would have cracked your ribcage.

The kids from the Ares cabin, including Clarisse, were riding about on pegasi, surveying the land, and shouting down instructions to the Demeter cabin. The Hephaestus kids were in the forge (as usual. Jason's heart ached to see Leo absent), beating away at broken weapons from the battle. They seemed to be expecting another battle right away.

He saw Nico di Angelo and his half-sister, Hazel, working with a crew of skeletons to redecorate the inside of the Hades cabin, hauling the coffin-like cots out and burning them on the campfire. Jason wondered if Hades liked the smell of burnt coffin.

 _Probably,_ he thought.

"What's up, Jason?" came a voice. He glanced up and smiled. His girlfriend Piper sat down next to him, which technically wasn't allowed, but nobody cared at the moment. There were bigger issues to worry about than house tables.

He sighed and shrugged. "Just thinking," he said.

Piper looked at him for a moment. "About Leo?" she guessed.

Jason nodded. "Yeah. I just... I don't feel like he's actually gone, you know? I know Nico said he felt him go, but I just don't feel like it's real."

Piper nodded in understanding. "You felt like it should have been more personal? Maybe us being with him when he died?"

Jason shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. Maybe some confirmation. I mean, it's one thing to grieve when you know someone's gone. It's another thing when you know they probably are gone, but it isn't confirmed. It's so painful."

Jason thought he saw tears in Piper's eyes, but he might have imagined them.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled. "It's just… tough."

Piper laughed softly. "Yes, yes it is. But you know what? If Leo could see us now, he'd be just ticked off. Absolutely so. He'd tell us to get to work, because there's a lot of work to be done, cleaning up after Gaea, and you sir-" she poked him in the chest, "-have work to do. Aren't you building shrines for all the gods at both camps?"

Jason rolled his eyes. "Yes, I know I am. Kymopoleia first. Problem is, I don't even _know_ all the gods, so I'll have to see if I can find the _Ultimate Guide to the Gods_ or something."

Piper smiled faintly. "Just ask Annabeth. Or ask your dad."

Jason rolled his eyes again. "My dad didn't even know Kymopoleia, remember? Poseidon had to clarify who she was. I'm sure she would like knowing that the king of the gods doesn't even know she exists."

"Well, just don't tell her, then."

Jason chuckled. "I won't, trust me. That would _not_ help. She'd let loose hurricanes on the entire world. No, I don't think I'll let her know."

Piper laughed. "I suppose she would. You have to feel kind of bad for her, though."

Jason stared. "What? She tried to kill us, and her wish was for mortals to bow in fear and terror of her. I don't feel bad for her."

"I guess," replied Piper with a lopsided smile. "So, when do you leave?"

"I'm going to take a little break," replied Jason, laughing. "I think we all deserve a break."

Piper glanced over his shoulder. "Well, maybe. But we have company."

Jason glanced up. Coming down Half-Blood Hill, escorted by a few Ares campers, were the Hunters of Artemis, bows shouldered and wolves roaming free. Artemis herself was absent. Jason guessed that having your mind divided could take some time to recover from.

Behind them marched a girl in a suit, who looked so much like Reyna that Jason blinked in surprise. Then he realized it was likely her sister, Hylla. She looked coldly at her surroundings, but when one of her attendants spoke to her, she smiled very suddenly.

Jason sighed. "I guess we'll have to find some accommodation, unless the Amazons want to take the Artemis cabin with the Hunters."

Piper shrugged. "They'll probably agree to that."

Jason watched them for a moment. "I guess we should go and meet them." He glanced around. "Do you want to find Percy?" he asked Piper.

She nodded. "I'll grab him. He's probably meditating in the canoe lake or something."

Jason blinked. "What?"

She shrugged. "He does that sometimes."

Jason thought about that for a second. "Okay, good to know…"

Piper laughed and hurried off.

Jason turned to the newcomers, who were heading in the direction of the dining pavilion. He stood up and, with a deep breath, headed directly for his sister, who smiled as she recognized him.

 _Hopefully they bring good news,_ he thought. _The last thing we need is bad news._

 **Okay, there's the first real chapter. Not much really happened this time, because I thought it best to include a little bit of emotion after the rather emotional experience of defeating the Earth goddess. But the story will pick up pretty quick. I think Thalia will take the next chapter. Or Percy. I'm not sure yet. Anyway, I will try and update with some consistency, but longer chapters will obviously take longer. I like shorter chapters, though, so this one is up really quick. Anyway, thank you for reading! God bless! -Skye**


	3. Chapter 3

**Really sorry. I had a final exam, and I started studying… THREE DAYS before it…. Yeah, so I had to devote my life to it work a while. But here it is: Chapter Two! Thank you all for reading. So everyone will play a part in this chapter, but the Hunters don't bring the best news, so it won't be a happy reunion for everyone. Come to think of it, Annabeth and Percy haven't seen Thalia since The Last Olympian, have they? Probably not. Wow. That's weird. Anyway, the Hunters and Amazons will set the real story in motion. Read on…..**

Chapter Two

 **Thalia**

Thalia surveyed the camp, her eyes taking in every detail. She hadn't been here in quite a while, but she remembered it fondly. Good memories here, even if there was a shortage in them. She had never really had much of a chance to call the camp home, having died on the border, before being resurrected for one short period of her life. Then she'd crossed the country to save Annabeth, and joined the Hunters of Artemis. Therefore, Camp Half-Blood had never been her permanent home, but she felt a devotion to it anyway. She guessed it felt like the Shire did to Frodo Baggins (yes, she'd read _The Lord of the Rings_ ). It was a safe haven. It was comforting for her to go out on the hunts, knowing that there was yet still a place without fear. Without danger.

She shook herself. She was feeling sentimental now, but there was no time for that. The Hunters and Amazons were coming with news. News that she feared breaking to the campers and Romans, in case it broke their spirit completely. She didn't know if they could take it.

To make it worse, she noticed her brother heading towards her. That, of course, should have been a positive, since she hadn't seen him in a long time, since that fiasco on Pikes Peak, but she didn't want him to get the news first.

Jason's smile made her worries melt away, though. "Thals!" he laughed, and he embraced her. She hugged him back.

She pulled back and looked at him. "So, how was the war?" she asked, knowing how stupid it would sound, but not caring.

Jason laughed. "Pretty straightforward, actually. Closing the Doors of Death, drinking poison, killing giants, tying up goddesses-"

"What?"

"-and basically causing mayhem, which thankfully ended up saving the world. How about you? Reyna said they met you in San Juan, and something about Orion?"

Thalia winced and felt a cut on her leg. It burned like hell. "Yeah… we might have been ambushed."

Jason looked surprised. "You? Ambushed? Were you on watch?"

Thalia looked down. "Yeah," she mumbled.

Jason smirked. "Nice going."

"Shut up."

"Anyway…" butted in the voice of Hylla Ramirez-Arellano. "As charming as this conversation is, we ought to talk to Chiron." She glared at Jason, for reasons Thalia didn't quite understand. Maybe it was a male teasing a girl.

Jason nodded, amusement dropping from his expression. He studied their faces for a moment. "I-Is something wrong?" he inquired anxiously.

Thalia glanced at Hylla, whose face gave nothing away. Yet Thalia could sense the anxiety buried within. "Well, no, I don't… it's probably nothing…" Thalia stuttered.

Jason raised an eyebrow, looking amused, but Thalia looked into his eyes, and saw worry suddenly piling there. He didn't speak, but eyed them both for a few seconds. Then he nodded at them.

"This way," he murmured, and turned, heading down Half-Blood Hill towards the Big House, which shone in the early light. There were burn marks on it from the various weapons that had been used in the recent battle. Thalia suspected this whole 'Gaea-exploding' thing she'd heard about was behind some of the scorched grass.

Jason stepped onto the porch, the wood of which creaked beneath his feet. He pushed open the door, and held it open for his sister and Hylla. Thalia smiled in thanks and pushed her way inside, but Hylla just growled and held onto the door, unwilling to pass inside.

Hylla and Jason locked eyes for a moment, wrestling mentally, until Jason eventually looked away, and let go of the door. Hylla sneered and pushed ahead of him, throwing her hair over her shoulder as she went.

Thalia sighed. "Hylla, there's a time for feminism and a time for respect."

"Tell your brother to respect the fact that I have arms too," replied the Amazon queen in annoyance. "I can hold a door."

"I'm here, you know," commented Jason, annoyed.

Thalia glared at him. _Not helping,_ she mouthed. "I'm sure he knows you can hold a door. After all, his ex-girlfriend is your sister." She ignored Jason's spluttering. "And she, I think, showed him true strength." She grinned sideways at Jason, who scowled at her.

Hylla just turned her nose up. "I am well aware of that. But this boy-"

" _Boy?_ "

"-acts like a _gentleman,"_ she spat the word, "which is a foolish enterprise, as you well know.

Jason rolled his eyes. "Sorry, you idiot. I'm so freaking sick of you that I'm just gonna fight you right now. Will you just burn in Tartarus or what? Maybe I'll just kill you now!"

Hylla looked shocked at first, but it eventually settled into an approving look. "Much better." She brushed past Thalia and Jason without a word.

Thalia glanced at her brother in amusement, and Jason grinned. _Wow,_ he mouthed.

Thalia just grunted. She didn't bother saying anything about Hylla. Words wouldn't do her interesting personality justice. So she just rolled her eyes and followed the Amazon queen.

Hylla had pushed her way into the living room of the big house, which was rarely used by anyone.

"Where is Karen?" she asked in frustration.

Jason blinked. "Chiron?" he asked.

"Yes, yes, whatever," replied Hylla absently, glaring around. "This is your so-called fort? Where are your defences?"

Thalia sighed. "Hylla, they're magic. And this place wasn't built for wars. It was a farmhouse. And then the camp was built. It's a summer camp, not a fort."

"Of course it's a damn summer camp," muttered Jason.

"Language," commented a voice, which made all of them turn around. Chiron, in full centaur form, was standing in the doorway, ducking.

"Ms. Ramirez-Arellano, if you mind, this isn't the place for whatever you have to say." He looked cautiously at her. "If you would mind coming into the war room, I will hear you out." He trotted into the ping-pong room, Hylla close behind him. She stopped dead when she saw the contents of the room.

"Please no…" she muttered, sounding horrified.

Thalia tapped her on the shoulder. "Hylla? What's the matter?"

Hylla turned to her, her face expressionless. "This is a disgrace to warcraft. You have your councils around table tennis?"

Thalia sighed, while Jason glared at her. "It's ping-pong," he muttered quietly, so that only Thalia heard him.

"Hylla," she began. "It doesn't matter. Can we just discuss what we came to discuss?"

Hylla sighed. "I suppose…. I'll get right to the point." She looked seriously at Chiron. "I'm afraid we have a new enemy."

Jason started. "A… a new enemy?" he asked incredulously.

Hylla forgot to snarl at him. She nodded darkly. "I'm afraid we have Ouranos to deal with this time."

 **Okay, yeah, it took a while. It wasn't hard to write, I just couldn't find the time, and I've become obsessed with roleplaying lately, and I normally use the internet on my phone, and I can't write it on my phone….. Alas! Well, sorry everyone. I hope to have the next chapter in sooner. For now, I mean The Honourable Skye. God bless!**


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